Tonight on RAW in New Orleans, the Undertaker will return to the WWE. While anything is possible when the Deadman returns, many are expecting that tonight’s appearance will begin Taker’s road to what could possibly be his final Wrestlemania.
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The last we saw of Undertaker, he was promising the Smackdown LIVE crowd that he was not simply going to be a Wrestlemania attraction. The announcement leads us to believe Taker will be making a challenge for the Royal Rumble, perhaps even making his intentions known to enter the Rumble.
With the anticipation and excitement building, we look ahead to Wrestlemania 33 and have found the only five opponents the WWE should consider putting in the ring with The Undertaker!
Click the slides to see which one of these opponents you believe would make the most intriguing matchup for The Phenom!
5. Finn Balor
This one is the wildcard! Demon vs Demon King. A passing of the supernatural torch from one generation to another. While Balor has publicly stated that he is greatly interested in facing Undertaker at Wrestlemania, his recent injury has stunted his momentum and relevance among the WWE universe. Had Balor kept the Universal championship since he won it at Summerslam, this match mayย have been in the cards. As it stands now, it is highly unlikelyย we’ll see these two facing off anytime soon. We can still keep our hopes up that the two will share a moment in the ring together somewhere down the road, as Balor and Bray Wyatt are the only remaining characters that harken back to the Undertaker’s heyday.ย
4. Braun Strowman
This is a risky choice as Braun Strowman is still very inexperienced. While the story of Strowman sending the Undertaker out to pasture is an intriguing one, the fear is that Braun might accidentally do just that, but in real life. The Undertaker was rumored to have told Vince McMahon that he was done after last year’s Wrestlemania match with Shane O Mac. As recently as four months ago we saw Taker on crutches after recovering from hip surgery. While he has rebounded since the surgery, he clearly has reason to be concerned about his longterm health now more than ever.ย
As much as the WWE universe might like to see it, it’s just too risky to put the Phenom in a match with Strowman at this poin tin his career.ย
3. Goldberg
Two pillars of the late 90s wrestling boom and two icons who have never faced each other inside a WWE or WCW ring. One possible angle for how the WWE could switch from the rumoredย Goldberg/Lesnar rematchย to the Undertaker would be that theย Deadman sees redemption in Goldberg’s steamrolling of Lesnar. If he can take down the one who beat Lesnar, then he will finally have peace. It’s a great angle and rather simple in execution, as long as WWE doesn’t overbook it to death.
Having Undertaker face Goldberg could be excellent, and a once in a lifetime opportunity for the company to capitalize on two stars entering the twilights of their careers.
2. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is the only current superstar the WWE would likely trust to have Taker pass the torch to. Whether you love him or hate him, it’s clear Vince and company believe Reigns is the future of the WWE. The Undertaker likely feels this way as well, and as much as he loves the business, would want to leave it in good hands by putting Reigns over on his way out.ย
If Taker decides to give it one more year, you could possibly save this one for Wrestlemania 34. But as we saw with Sting, you can’t assume anything about the health of a wrestler over the age of 50. This is the only real new era vs old era (he spans so many) dream matches worth of headlining Wrestlemania 33.ย
1. John Cena
The Undertaker match that has been most heavily rumored for Wrestlemania 33 is also the one that needs to happen the most! Cena and Taker have not faced each other since Cena was a rookie and Taker was a biker who listened to Limp Bizkit.ย
If Taker is truly riding off into the sunsetย this year, it would be a shame for him not to face off with John Cena one time on the Grandest Stage Of Them All! For extra intrigue, Cena could be carrying the WWE Championship on his shoulder when he enters Wrestlemania.ย Imagine Taker challenging for the title one last time and either retiring with a loss ala Shawn Michaels or walking off into the sunset as the champion. Either would be an amazing way to close out Wrestlemania 33.ย
